Garden of Eden
by L.V.Owl
Summary: After taking the blame for a prank, Eden has no choice but to work for Mort to pay off the damages. But are the locals right about his murderous past? Whether she likes it or not, she's about to find out!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own The Secret Window and/or Johnny Depp… sadly.

AN: Excuse the (as I think) rocky start. It gets better I promise! Let me know what you think!

* * *

Chapter One

Eden Peters and her younger brother, Wiley, along with a few of his friends sat in an ice cream parlor trying to escape the worst of the summer heat. Eden stirred the chocolate puddle in her bowl and considered drinking it like a milkshake. The boys broke out into a fit of laughs and she looked up.

"What'd I miss?" she asked, only having zoned out a few minutes.

"John just," Wiley choked out in between laughs, "He just told us he's cutting school!"

"But its summer, how could he…?"

"Exactly! The dolt got stuck in summer school!"

They went into a laugh again while John's face reddened. Unamused, Eden turned and faced the window. A black jeep pulled up across the street. She frowned when a strange man got out- strange in the fact that she didn't recognize him. Tashmore was a small town and in the years her family lived there, she became familiar with everyone so seeing a new face was well out of the ordinary.

She nudged her brother. "Who's that?"

He looked up, a smile still on his face but it dropped upon seeing the man.

"No way!" he said pressing his face against the window to get a better look. He watched the man put change into a meter and went inside a dentist office. "No way," he repeated.

"What is it?" asked Bill, craning his neck to see what Wiley was looking at.

"Is that Rainey?" Wiley asked incredulously.

"What!?" Bill and John exclaimed while jumping up.

"Who?" asked Eden.

"That's Crazy Rainey!"

She scrunched up her face in confusion. Her brother looked at her in amazement. "Mad Man Mort? The murderer?"

She tilted her head slightly and he sighed, "Even I know who he is! Mort Rainey killed four people. Lives up in the woods by the lake," he explained.

"If he killed people why isn't he locked up?" Eden asked trying to get a better look at him.

Wiley opened his mouth to answer but John, always eager to get Eden's attention, beat him to it. "No proof. He got rid of the bodies." He leaned in closer, "I think he dumped 'em in the lake. Weighted 'em down and dumped 'em. Let the fish eat up the evidence."

Eden shuddered and glanced in Rainey's direction; she couldn't spot him inside. Her eyes rested on his black jeep.

"He isn't supposed to come into town," said Bill, obviously not wanting to be left out. She turned back to him. "He's supposed to be a writer. I read a book of his once-"

"Loser," Wiley teased.

Bill scowled but kept going, "It was really sick, about some guy, Todd I think, killing his wife and other people. Guess what happened to Rainey's ex-wife?"

John made a gagging noise and dragged his finger across his throat. Eden licked her lips nervously, "I never would've thought…"

"Yeah, I don't think she did either!" exclaimed Wiley.

"Of course it's the normal looking guys that are crazy. I mean if you _look_ nuts, you're sure to get locked up," said John.

"Hey…" started Bill, a gleam in his eye. "How long do you think he's in there for?"

Wiley shrugged, "I dunno, check his meter. Why?"

He grinned and moved to the door, "Go get your bikes, boys!"

* * *

"You can't be serious," Eden said, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Don't be such a killjoy. I'm not asking _you_ to come," Wiley replied wheeling his bike out of the garage.

She stepped in front of him, "If he really _is_ a nutcase, why, in God's name, would you go up to his place and mess with him?!" she almost shouted.

He rolled his eyes, "He won't be there. John said he had at least an hour on his meter. I mean if the cops can't get him, why not do a little civil justice?"

"Because it's illegal, it's called _vandalism_ or maybe you haven't heard of it," she said aggravated.

Behind her, John and Bill rode up on their bicycles. "C'mon, Wiles! We've got no time to lose!" shouted John.

Eden frowned as he wheeled his bike around her. "Look, I'll be careful," he told her reassuringly. "Don't tell mom and dad, okay?"

She gave him a hard look but reluctantly nodded. With a knot in her stomach, she watched as the three pedaled down the street. This is a bad idea, she thought to herself. She stood there another moment staring at the point in the distance where their figures disappeared. Sighing heavily, she lugged out her own bicycle. "And this is an equally bad idea…" she said aloud, closing the garage and hopping on her bike.

* * *

After a few minutes of cycling, she was surrounded on both sides by trees. Eden followed the one gravel road up through the woods. I should've met up with them by now, she thought, they must've veered off the trail into the thicket. Not wanting to test her luck or sense of direction, she stuck to the trail.

It was about thirty minutes after she set off by the time she caught sight of the cabin. She was sweaty and out of breath as she dismounted and dropped her bike.

"Oh crap," she said, walking up to the house.

It was a wreck. Somehow the boys had managed to beat her, and Rainey, there, wreaked havoc and then left. A few windows were broken, toilet paper was stern about and the word 'KILLER' was spray painted across the door in red. The door was ajar. She hoped they hadn't done anything inside. Hesitantly, she stepped past the screen door and onto the wooden porch.

"Wiley?" she called peeking her head into the cabin.

No answer. She called again. Still, no answer. She wasn't going to go in- breaking and entering wasn't on her agenda. From her position, she couldn't see any interior damage. God, she was going to kill them!

Then her stomach tightened and the most horrifying sound reached her ears. The sound of gravel crunching behind her. Maybe it's the guys coming back, she thought hopefully, but even her optimistic side knew it wasn't true. It sounded too heavy to be bikes, even three. In fact, It sounded more like a car. She didn't even need to turn around to know that it'd be a black jeep pulling in the driveway. But what scared her most was who she knew had to be the driver.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: In the name of Mort, I ate Doritos as I wrote this! Lol

* * *

Chapter Two

Eden cringed as she heard the car door slam. "Shit!" she heard him yell. Leave your bike and run, her mind cried. Was it already too late?

"What the f-"

She turned in time to see him kick the front tire of his jeep which, she saw, had stopped short of her bike. She gulped and nervously stepped off his porch and away from the cabin.

"Fuck!" he yelled, raking his hands through his now messy hair.

His eyes turned to her. Her breath caught. Run! Run! Her feet were two lead bricks, she couldn't move, not even to save her life. She watched as he angrily approached her. Was that murder glinting in his eyes from behind his thin wire glasses?

"Did you do this?!" he demanded, inches from her.

"I-I" she stuttered, panic fogging her thoughts.

No she didn't but would he believe her? She was alone and here was his house, ruined- everything pointed to her. Maybe if she explained… No, she wasn't going to turn a killer loose onto her brother.

"Did you do this to my house!?" he shouted.

Eden jumped, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"

"Oh, it was an accident, then? You _accidentally_ wrote 'KILLER' on my door?!" he snarled.

She shook her head, not knowing what to say. She could picture herself at the bottom of the lake, face ghostly white and eyes wide with fear, the last image of Rainey killing her imprinted on them.

She was shocked back into reality when he grabbed her arm.

"What are you doing?" she asked, scared. He said nothing but continued to haul her towards the cabin despite her efforts to resist. She wouldn't have thought he had such a strong grip.

"What are you going to do?" she asked frightened and feeling rather helpless.

"A little civil justice," he said through his teeth as he shoved her through the doorway.

* * *

For the next ten minutes, Eden found herself sitting on his couch increasingly growing nervous as Rainey paced the room muttering. He seemed to be having a heated conversation with himself. It could be worse, she thought, it could always be worse. He stopped suddenly and turned to her, starring intently.

"What's your name?" Rainey asked.

She blinked, caught of guard. Did she really want _him_, a psychopath, knowing her name? Hesitantly, she shook her head.

"Fine," he said reaching for the phone on the table in front of her. "You might be more willing to tell the police."

"Wait." She started.

Getting the cops involved could be a blessing; surely he wouldn't kill her in front of them. Unless it was just a bluff and he has no intention of calling them… She couldn't risk a lawsuit; her family was, at the time, financially unstable and it would be wrong to gamble with her family's wellbeing. Then again, she thought, her life wasn't a very appealing ante either…

"Well?" he prompted, the dial tone filling the silence.

She sighed. "Eden," she said defeated, "Eden Peters."

Rainey considered her a moment then handed her the phone.

"Phone home."

Had his tone not been so deadly serious, she may have laughed. Hesitantly, she dialed her home number. His hand was outstretched expectantly; Eden gave him the phone. Its green cord stretched as he put it to his ear.

"Hello? Is this the Peters residence?" he glanced at her briefly, "Great, can I speak to the head of the house?"

There was a pause. "Mrs. Peters? I'm Mort Rainey…I have your daughter, Eden, here… I'm afraid she's gotten herself into a bit of trouble..."

* * *

They waited in an even more uncomfortable silence for Eden's mother to arrive. Rainey had told her to stay put while he inspected damage. He wasn't outside for more than a few minutes- he didn't want to leave her alone in his house for too long. He sat in one of two red chairs off to the side of the couch. Since her mother was coming by car and not bicycle, she arrived quickly though, of course, to Eden, and assumedly Rainey, it felt much longer. When the scrape of gravel announced Mrs. Peters arrival, Rainey almost jumped out of his seat.

He opened the porch door as a woman, in her late thirties, rushed out of her car. She was dressed appropriately for a middle class working mother but Rainey couldn't help but notice her attempts to look attractive, her low cut blouse, inch above the knee skirt and not too fancy heels. She had, he noted, succeeded. If only she had let her hair down instead of knotting it up into a bun. Would that girl turn out like her? He shook his head, this was business.

"Mrs. Peters," he said politely.

She had yet recovered from taking in the cabin's damage. "Oh, Mr. Rainey, I'm so very sorry!" she said stepping in. "My Eden just doesn't do this sort of thing." She shook her head.

"When I left, my cabin was fine, when I came back it was like this, I found her on the property and she admitted doing it."

Mrs. Peters looked at her daughter aghast. "Is this true?"

Eden hung her head, changing her story now wouldn't do any good. She was safe now, her mother was here and he couldn't kill her. She'd just get Wiley back somehow…

"This really isn't like her," Mrs. Peters told Rainey.

"Yes well at this age they're out of control, looking for attention," he sympathized.

"How can we make this up? Do you have an estimate?" she asked earnestly.

He thought for a moment, "Well, what do you say that Eden, here, takes the responsibility alone? You seem like a caring woman, I'd hate to push this on you," he said sweetly.

Eden perked up. No allowance for a year, ten years. Fine. Done deal! As long as she never has to see this place and that man again!

"What did you have in mind?" inquired Mrs. Peters, curiously or suspiciously, Eden couldn't tell.

"How about she works here? Repairs the damages and cleans up for a month or so and we'll consider it even," he offered, not trying to sound hopeful.

Mrs. Peters considered for a moment then smiled.

God, no! Please no! Anything but-

"That sounds like a wonderful idea!"

Rainey grinned, "Then it's a deal?"

"Yes, of course. When would you like her to start?"

"Monday, nice and fresh. Noon too early?"

"Of course not."

Her mother urged her to get up. "Now I hope you apologized to Mr. Rainey?"

Eden stood before him and looked him in the eyes. He coolly gazed back. Something about him made her stomach churn.

"Sorry,"she said, her throat tight.

Mrs. Peters guided Eden out the door. "So sorry about this Mr. Rainey," she said in passing.

He watched from his porch. "So am I, Mrs. Peters," he called as Eden loaded her bike into the trunk of their silver car.

Eden waited for her mom to unlock the passenger door. It clicked and just as she pulled it open Rainey shouted to her.

"See you Monday!"


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Sorry it took awhile but I was a bit uninspired and didn't want to throw out anything. Feedback leads to quick updates! (hint hint) n.n

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Chapter Three

Mort sat in his living room, worn housecoat draped over the couch, tossed aside from the heat. It was a bit past ten, he noted looking at the clock. Less than two hours before the girl arrived. He frowned for the umpteenth time that day. It puzzled him still, why he had delivered that rare act of mercy to her. Giving kindness to a stranger wasn't something he did often, let alone to one that had vandalized his house-no. He didn't believe she did. The way her voice shook confessed not only fear but innocence. He couldn't be certain, he reasoned, but he was fairly sure. But if she _was_ innocent, why would she take the blame? She had nothing to gain, right? His frown deepened. He went easy on her because he wanted to find out. That's it, he decided; curiosity killed the cat and he was no different. Maybe he just wanted to see her again? No, why would he? Because she wasn't that bad to look at, he thought remembering her face and form. He shook his head. She was half his age or less, he couldn't think such things. It was near illegal to think such things actually and if continued he should seek psychological help… Though her mother on the other hand, was fair prey in the dirty thoughts game.

He looked at the clock again. It had barely been five minutes. He sighed and stood, deciding on killing some time in his garden. He slid on his slippers and headed out. The sun beat down on him as he ripped up whatever roots threatened to steal nutrients from his corn. He tossed them off to the side in a pile to whither. Only after did he realize he could've had the girl do it for him. Even though it wasn't damage _someone_ did, he doubted she would have tried to argue with him. Damn it, he was thinking of that girl again. This was just sad, limited interaction with people and it's all he can think about. He really had to get out more, he told himself as he dragged out a hose. He turned it on and gave the corn stalks a generous amount of water to hold them off till the rain. After he raveled up the hose, he went back inside.

The air was slightly cooler but only by minimal degrees. Mort ambled into the kitchen and peered inside the fridge. He grabbed a Mountain Dew to relive his parched throat. Within a few sips, he drank the whole can. He tossed it out and wiped the sweat from his brow. He looked at the clock. It was now past eleven. He needed to freshen up before she came here. He mildly scolded himself then rationed that he needed to be on his toes when dealing with teens; a cold shower would do him some good, clear his head.

Once in the bathroom, he removed his clothes and glasses. He turned the shower on and paused to look in the mirror. He rarely took off his glasses aside from when he went to bed and even then he doesn't see himself. He studied his own face through half hazy eyes and considered getting contacts. He smiled, revealing his newly straightened teeth. His braces were removed that day his house was vandalized. It was the only reason he was allowed into town, they couldn't deny him dental care. His gaze wandered to his chest for a moment; he wasn't exactly well toned but he couldn't deny that he was in good shape, not an ounce of flab. He hopped in the shower and in no time, or more accurately, seven minutes later, he turned off the water and toweled himself off. He dressed in casual clothes and in a rare moment, combed his hair and in an even rarer moment, put on body spray.

_You never do that. What would make you now?_

He shook his head. 'I dunno. I felt like it.'

_Did you do it for her? For Eden?_

He shrugged. 'Maybe. No big deal.'

Mort trudged down the stairs and plopped on his couch. He caught sight of his housecoat and decided to put it away.

_And now you're tidying? You must really like her._

"Oh give it up." Mort said aloud. "I'm just trying to make the place look presentable."

_Isn't that her job?_

"She isn't responsible for my laundry."

_She could be if you want her to be._

"Yes, but I don't want her to be." He said as he flung his house coat into a closet.

The crunch of gravel alerted him to the Peterson's silver car pulling up. He hurried out onto the porch and watched as the girl reluctantly stepped out of the car. She made a face upon seeing him and looked back to her mother as if to try and get out of her obligation. Her mother shook her head and Mort waved. Mrs. Peterson smiled and gave a small wave back. She stuck her head out of the window.

"When should I pick her up, Mr. Rainey?" she asked.

"Don't worry, I'll drive her home." Mort offered.

"Aw, that's very generous of you. Are you sure?"

He nodded. "Yeah, of course, I just need an address."

Mrs. Peterson laughed, "236 Molson Drive."

"I'll have her home in time for dinner."

Mrs. Peterson smiled then turned to Eden who was still standing some ways off from the house. "Now you make sure you mind, Mr. Rainey."

She sighed. "Yes, _mother_."

Eden watched almost helplessly as her mother pulled out of the driveway and continued down the one dirt road away from the cabin, leaving her alone with the man that got away with murder.

"The hose is around back." Rainey said, the pleasantness gone from his voice. "There should also be a bucket and some rags. Start cleaning all this spray paint off."

He retreated back inside and shut the door. Eden was tempted to just leave but forced herself to stick it out. At least she wasn't near him.

Eden found a good sized plot of corn stalks by the side of the house, nearby was a coiled hose and dirty bucket. She tried the knob, it was stiff but after a few tries, she managed to turn it; water shot through the end. She brought the bucket over and filled it halfway. Looking around, she couldn't find any rags. She sighed.

"Mr. Rainey?" she called.

When there was no answer, she called again and still he didn't respond. She made an exasperated noise and hauled the bucket to the front of the house. After she plopped the bucket down and started up the stairs, she saw that he had put out a pile of old rags. She glared at the closed door and carried the bucket onto the porch. Dipping the rags in cold water, she started scrubbing the door in her best attempt to erase the word 'killer' from it. She finished the door around two o' clock; her hands were wrinkled from the water and the heat was starting to get to her.

She knocked on the door. "Mr. Rainey?"

No answer; big surprise there. She cracked the door slightly, seeing no one, she stepped in. She looked up to the loft; he was sitting at a desk, typing on a laptop. She walked over to the stairs.

"Mr. Rainey?" she said annoyed.

He couldn't hear her, he had headphones on. She rolled her eyes and started up the stairs. When he saw her, he looked startled. He slid his headphones around his neck and half closed the laptop, hiding the screen.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I'm done."

He glanced at the door briefly. "Oh, well go clean the yard; there's a lot of toilet paper everywhere." He said putting his headphones back on.

When she didn't move, he looked at her. "Problem?"

Eden gritted her teeth and stomped down the stairs and outside. Damn heartless bastard, if she had a heatstroke, _she'd_ be suing _his _ass!

Wiley and his friends must have used an entire package of toilet paper, it took hours to clean up. Her back ached from bending to pick up pounds of toilet tissue and bits and broken glass from windows. This time when she finished, she sat on his porch, exhausted. The sun was just starting to retreat from the sky but the air still held its heat.

The door opened and light spilled onto the porch. She stiffened when he stood beside her. Rainey looked around the yard and seemed satisfied. He turned around to examine the door, it was slightly damp but the red paint was thoroughly removed. Rainey gazed down at her but she refused to look at him.

"Alright," he breathed, "Let's get you home."

He grabbed his keys on the hook by the door and locked it, not bothering to turn off the lights. Eden sat silently in the passenger seat as Rainey started his jeep. The dash lit up and cast a green glow on them both. Eden stared out the passenger window watching as the trees whizzed by. Every once in a while, Rainey would glance at her which she ignored of course. Soon they were driving through town and she felt slightly more secure. They pulled into Molson Drive and Eden seemed ready to jump out of the car.

"236?" he asked.

She held her breath, "Yeah." She mumbled. She hated him knowing where she lived.

Rainey squinted to see the addresses in the darkness. Eden made no move to help him but told him to stop once they passed the house. She opened the door and stepped out without another word to him.

"Night." He said half smiling.

She slammed the door shut. Slowly, she walked to her house. She had left her keys in her room. She frowned and lifted the welcome mat, finding their spare key. After she had opened the door, she looked back to see him still sitting in his jeep, watching her. She stepped inside taking the key with her and her mother came out of the kitchen.

"Oh honey, how was it?" she asked.

"Like hell." Eden replied bitterly.

Her mother made a face at her and leaned out of the door and waved to Rainey. Eden trudged up to her room in a horrible mood.

"Dinner's in five minutes!" her mother called.

Eden shut her door with a little more force than necessary and sprawled out on her bed. She shut her eyes. A few moments later, the door opened. She didn't move.

"You're still alive." Wiley stated.

"_You_ won't be for long." She threatened.

He shut the door, she thought he had left but heard him sit against her door.

"That bad?" he asked.

"The jerk made me work nonstop." She growled, kicking off her shoes. "He didn't even give me water, I'm probably dehydrated!"

Wiley didn't say anything for a moment. "If you want I'll take the blame."

She sat up and looked at him. "It's a little late, don't you think?"

He shrugged. "Not really."

She sighed. "I'll finish off my sentence as long as you do all of my chores for double the time."

"Two months?!"

She glared at him and he sighed. "Fine."

"Good, that _almost_ makes this worth it." She said smirking. "Besides, I can take _whatever_ Rainey dishes out!"


	4. Chapter 4

AN: I know you've been waiting awhile for an update and I'm sorry! I hope you're still interested lol. Anywho, I hope you all like the chapter. Tell me what you think! :D

* * *

Chapter Four

The next few days went by in the same mundane fashion for the most part. Rainey stayed in his loft, writing, only having contact with Eden to tell her what next to clean or repair. Eden complied and kept the harsh comments to herself- ticking off a killer was the _last_ thing she wanted to do. Come to think of it, she mused, he really doesn't act as crazy as Wiley let on. Rainey was irritating and neglectful and rude and a total ass but he didn't seem _crazy_. Aside from the day they met (after he found his house vandalized), he really didn't show any signs of being a psychopath. No sudden rages, no death glares (although she _did_ catch him staring a few times mighty creepily), no split personalities, no attempts to kill her. He seemed relatively normal, if cranky anti-social writers were normal, that is. But that didn't have Eden convinced though. Like the guys had said, if he looked and acted crazy, he'd have been locked up ages ago. There were plenty of normal looking serial killers out there- she watched those forensics shows before. It was best if she just played it safe for a month and then she was out of there!

The Monday after she had started, Eden found herself outside washing his car. She had just finished scrubbing the dirt and dead insects from the windows and crevices when Rainey came out onto the porch. She paused to watch him sit down on a step; he looked back at her. She turned and tossed the rag into the bucket and made for the side of the house. She needed clean water to rinse the jeep off.

"What are you doing?" Rainey asked.

"Getting water," she said evenly.

"Why don't you pull it around?" he suggested.

"What?" She stopped.

"Can you drive?"

She paused before answering. "I have my permit…"

He tossed her his keys which she barely caught yet at the same time spilled some of the soapy water on her legs. She shut her eyes momentarily to suppress an outburst. Mort the Murderer, she thought to herself, don't do anything stupid.

"Pull it around," Rainey told her.

She stared at him. "You want me to drive your car?"

"I thought I made that clear," he said. "If you want I can rephrase it."

"Are _you_ incapable?" she asked, annoyed.

"Didn't your mother say to listen to me? I'm sure I heard her say that... I could just call her and check." He made to get up and she sighed.

"Don't bother…" she mumbled.

She set the bucket down and headed over to his jeep. Was he setting her up? Was the thing rigged to explode when she started it?

"The one with the green cover opens the door and the silver one starts it," he called.

Why couldn't he do it himself? She unlocked and opened the door. No bomb yet… She climbed into the jeep and sat down, feeling unsure. He was still watching her as she shut the door and put on her seatbelt- playing it safe never hurt. Eden took a breath as she turned the key in the ignition, it started easily and she sat there. She could just leave now… This whole situation was weird and his staring was creeping her out! Surely taking a car could be excused if she could prove he had ill intentions; he was a killer after all! Oh that's right, he was still innocent but hell, everyone knows he did it! The police would be grateful for another chance to nab him! All she had to do was cry "Molester!" and he'd be in handcuffs in a heartbeat. Right?

"Any day now," he called. "Before your funeral, would be nice."

She froze. Was that a threat? Or was he just toying with her? He knows of his reputation, was he using it to scare her? Shaking her head, she put it in drive and carefully edged around the house, his eyes watching as she did so. She parked it as close to the hose as she could without running over any corn stalks. She got out after turning off the engine and shut the door behind her before trudging over to the hose. Having experience with the damned on/off knob, she used both hands to try and force it to turn.

"Need help?"

She gritted her teeth. "No."

Rainey, slightly amused, watched her struggle with the knob before growling and giving up. She stepped aside for him and went to pick up the hose with her now red hands.

"Fine..." she muttered.

He turned the knob almost easily and smirked at Eden who only turned away. "Are you sure it's on?" she growled. Only a trickle of water came out.

"Maybe it's clogged," he suggested, hand still on the knob.

"No," she snapped. "It was fine an hour ago."

She looked down the nozzle, trying to make out any dirt or rocks. Hearing a squeak of the knob twisting, she made to turn around to face him but immediately stopped as water rushed out the end of the hose. She shrieked and tried to dodge the stream but was too late. She was soaked from the waist up and despite the relief the cold water gave her in the 90 degree weather, she couldn't help but glare at him. It was so painfully obvious that he had done it on purpose.

He smiled. "You were right, it wasn't clogged."

With every ounce of self control she possessed, she held her tongue and turned the hose on his jeep, rinsing off the suds. He's lucky he's a psychopath, Eden thought bitterly, or else he'd be drenched too. She heard him snicker softly and she shot him a sneer over her shoulder. With an uneasy thought, she noticed her T-shirt now clung to her and the outline of her bra was visible. Thank God I'm not wearing white! Blushing slightly, she told him to shut off the hose.

"What now?" she asked.

He furrowed his brow. "It'd be better to leave you out in the sun to dry off but you finished the yard work. You might as well come in and I'll find something for you to do."

"And the car?" she asked fishing the keys out of her pocket.

"Just leave it," he shrugged and took the keys.

Rainey led her inside and she stood there awkwardly looking the cabin. "Stay here," he said heading up the stairs. Eden frowned noticing a small puddle was forming at her feet. I'll have to mop it up no doubt, she thought. It was his fault she was soaked in the first place! She carefully pulled at the front of her shirt so it didn't stick to her and scowled. He was probably a perv! God help her if her mother didn't believe _that_ once she dug up some proof- oh that's right, so long as he didn't get _tried and arrested_ for any accusations, he was guilt free!

Eden's scowl deepened. Her mother didn't even believe he was a killer. "If the police didn't arrest him then he shouldn't be prosecuted", her mother had said, "It's 'innocent until proven guilty', isn't it? Not the other way around." Seventeen years of being married to a cop and she didn't even see the reality of law enforcement. Not everyone gets what they deserve- some just get away.

"Hey," Rainey called from the loft.

She looked up in time to see him throw a towel at her. It unraveled and landed on her head. Eden wrenched it off and reluctantly began to blot herself off, starting with her hair then her clothes.

"Do you want to borrow a shirt?"

He was still there? She caught herself before she answered. Of course she didn't want to wear any of his things, she barely accepted the _towel_. But… she didn't like the idea of walking around a strange man's house in a wet top.

"Okay," she deadpanned.

He had anticipated her answer and had a red plaid button up in his hands. This time she caught it and pulled it on over her damp shirt- the more layers the better. "What should I do now, Mr. Rainey?"

He scratched his head. "Just straighten the place up a bit. Ask if you don't know where to put something."

She nodded and started towards the dining room seeing as the living room and kitchen were, for the most part, in order if not a little cluttered. There were a number of papers and letters strewn across the table. Curiosity struck her as she shifted various letters around. She doubted he'd leave incriminating evidence lying around but it looked like the pile of paperwork had been growing for months. Maybe if she was lucky…?

Swallowing hard, she peeked out to see him sitting in the loft, typing at his laptop. She sat down at the table, sorting through the papers closest to her. Bills, bills, pages 34, 78, 5 and 112 through 153 of a manuscript(not necessarily the same one), fan mail, dental card, bills … envelope from lawyer? Eden glanced over her shoulder, expecting him to be there. She opened the manila envelope and pulled out a few papers that had been ripped in two. At the bottom she saw one signature, Amelia Rainey, and a space for one more which had been left blank. Its divorce papers, she realized.

"What are you doing?"

Eden jumped and spun around to find Rainey standing behind her. She hastily put the papers back on the table. "I was just trying to organize all this."

Rainey sighed and walked around her to pick up the divorce papers she tried to hide. She looked at her feet trying to avoid his gaze. They were silent for a moment and Eden shivered in the warm air. Rainey broke the silence finally.

"A man is reluctant to leave the woman he once loved so she runs off with some other guy to avoid him and suddenly he's a killer," he sighed.

Eden didn't say anything but looked up to see that he was looking at her sadly.

"I didn't kill Amy or anyone else for that matter. The whole town doesn't believe me," he said sourly. "I don't expect you to be any different."

He tossed the papers back on the table and walked into the kitchen. She heard a few glasses clink softly and the refrigerator open. "You can leave for today," he called.

Eden bit her lip nervously. He came out of the kitchen with a can of Mountain Dew and raised his eyebrows. "Is something wrong?"

"My," she took a breath, "My mom said that I should stay till six to help you… but I-I don't want to be in your way! I can just go and tell her you wanted to be alone."

He cleared his throat. "Yeah, if you get in trouble, I'll straighten it out. There's really no reason for you to stay."

She nodded. "Okay."

"Do you need a ride into town?"

Eden hesitated. "Uh, no it's okay. I don't want to inconvenience you."

"It's no problem," he said setting his now empty soda can on the table, "Besides, you're _technically_ my responsibility for the time being. I don't need you getting into trouble on my watch."

"I'm not a child," she muttered which she realized sounded very childish.

"Oh, of course not," Rainey mocked, walking into the living room. "You're a responsible young lady, is that right?

Eden didn't answer.

"I suppose that's why you vandalized my house, yes?" he asked, grabbed his keys. "Hm?"

She remained silent, staring at her feet. Rainey watched her as he opened the door. He noticed that she seemed more embarrassed that outright guilty- another hint that his suspicions of her not being the culprit were right.

"Alright, come on," he said, motioning for her to leave.

Eden did so silently, still avoiding his gaze. They went around to the side of the house where the jeep was still parked. "Sorry if I get your seat wet," Eden muttered awkwardly, getting into the passenger side.

"What?" he asked quickly, as if he hadn't heard her correctly.

She looked at him oddly. "My clothes are still kind of damp."

"Oh… Yeah. It's okay, it'll dry," Rainey nodded dismissively, starting the engine.

The ride into town seemed longer than she remembered. "So…" Eden attempted to break the silence weighing on her, "What're you writing about?"

He seemed surprised she spoke. "It's a sequel to one of my novels, _Secret Window_. You read it?"

"Um, no, sorry."

He paused. "Have you even _heard_ of it?"

"Yeah," she lied. "I'm just more into… romance novels."

Rainey looked at her curiously behind his thin framed glasses. After seeing her blush and avoid his gaze, he turned his attention back to driving. Eden didn't say anything after that. _Okay, so I suck at conversations. Why should I make small talk with him anyway?_ She suddenly felt as if he could read her mind and glanced worriedly at him but Rainey was focused on driving.

After a few minutes more, they reached the main road. Just as they neared the ice-cream parlor, Eden spoke up, "You can drop me off here."

His jeep slowed then stopped just before the shop- she didn't exactly want to be seen with a known killer in public. He watched her get out. "Thanks," she said quickly and made to leave.

"Sure and say hello to Mrs. Peterson for me."

She turned and raised an eyebrow. "You mean _Peters_?"

"Oh, right. Yeah," he said flippantly.

Had he honestly forgotten her surname? It didn't surprise her if he had forgotten her _first_ name as well. He never called her Eden, or anything really.

Eden pursed her lips and quickly left Rainey sitting in his jeep. As she walked up to the ice-cream shop, she could see Wiley's spiked hair in the window. The bell jingled as she entered and she made for her brother's window table. Just as she sat down, she saw the jeep pull away.

"Shouldn't you be at the cabin? You finally run off on him?" Wiley asked, a half eaten sundae in front of him.

Eden shook her head. "Got off early. Er, where's John?" she asked, seeing that the third from the trio was missing.

"Summer school, remember?"

_Now_, she remembered.

Bill snorted. "What's up with the shirt? Getting ready to go to a hoedown?"

Eden realized she was still wearing Rainey's shirt. Damn it, she thought, why'd he let me walk off with it? "Ha ha," she deadpanned, "Very funny."

"No, really," her brother pressed. "I thought you hated plaid."

She blinked. "I don't _hate_ it."

"Yeah, you do," Wiley continued. "You nearly threw up last Christmas when mom got you that one sweater."

"You're exaggerating," Eden glared.

"Yeah but it's hilarious to picture," grinned Wiley.

Eden turned as a waitress came up to the table. "How are you all doing?" she asked, "Can I get you anything? What about you, miss?"

"'Nother sundae for me," Bill said, handing her an empty bowl.

"Oh, er, a root beer float, please," Eden said.

"I'm fine," Wiley nodded and the waitress walked off.

Eden stared out the window for a bit until she felt eyes on her. Turning her head, she saw both Wiley and Bill staring at her. She frowned, "What?"

"Well?" asked Wiley.

"Well _what_?" snapped Eden, getting annoyed already.

"_Well_, what's with the shirt?" Bill asked.

Eden glared. "_Nothing_."

"Why are you being so defensive?" Wiley laughed.

"I'm not!"

"Sure sounds defensive to me," Bill said and the boys both snickered.

Eden rolled her eyes, "Whatever."

The waitress came back with their orders and Eden gladly accepted the distraction. "We're not giving up, you know," Bill smirked over his ice-cream, "Not until you tell us what's up."

"Nothing. Is. Up."

Wiley sat back and eyed her. "Well," he started, "It's clearly not yours."

She glared at him as he continued. "Not only is it too big on you and its pattern is capable of making you blow chunks, but I don't remember ever seeing you wear it before. And it isn't new looking so you couldn't have just bought it."

"Ooooh! Does Eden have a boyfriend?" teased Bill. "John's gonna be heartbroken!"

"I don't have a boyfriend," growled Eden, stabbing a hunk of vanilla with her spoon.

"_Then_?"

"You guys are making a big deal over nothing," Eden said.

"If its nothing then tell us," Wiley grinned.

Eden sighed, realizing that they wouldn't let it go. "I had to borrow a shirt, that's it."

"From who?" they asked in unison.

"From Rainey, _okay_?"

"What?" Wiley yelped, staring at her with wide eyes.

"You're wearing his clothes?" asked Bill, looking at her weirdly.

"Why'd you need to borrow a shirt?" Wiley asked, the humor gone from his voice.

"B-because my t-shirt was wet so-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold on," Bill gaped, "You were all _wet_? Do we even want to know why?"

Eden glared. "I was washing his car and the hose got me! It was an accident!" Well, that's debatable, she thought sourly to herself.

"Did he make you sit on the hood in a bikini while you washed it?" joked Bill, who doubled over in laughter.

Wiley hit Bill in the shoulder. "Hey, shut up!" he said then turned to Eden. "I'm going to ask you something and I want an honest answer, okay?" he began seriously. "Are you boning him?"

"What!" Eden shrieked, her voice at the same pitch as squealing tires.

"Yes or no, Eden."

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Eden growled.

"Oh my God," Wiley moaned, "You _are_, aren't you?"

"You're- what?- nineteen and he's like fifty!" Bill exclaimed.

"I- he's not _fifty_," she hissed.

"So delusional." Bill shook his head.

"Tell me you're not serious, Eden," Wiley demanded.

Eden looked between both boys with her mouth agape, utterly speechless.

"I didn't know your taste in guys was _that_ fucked up," said Bill. "There's a difference between bad boys and serial killers, Eds."

"Eden," Wiley started, shaking his head. "You don't wanna go messing around with this guy. This dude is bat-shit crazy!"

She slammed her fist on the table. "I AM NOT," she shouted then lowered her voice to a whisper and leaned forward. "I am not boning _him_- or _anyone_!"

"You swear?" Wiley asked, looking at her hard.

"Yes! _Geez_, you're both sick in the head!"

"Well," Bill sighed, "You just got a lot less interesting."

Eden scoffed and stood up, stalking towards the door.

"Where you going?" Wiley asked.

"Away from you jerks!"

"Hey, you forgot to pay for your-"

Eden was already out the door before Bill could finish his sentence. She continued down the sidewalk with a scowl on her face, thinking of her idiot brother and his idiot friend. Talk about jumping to conclusions! They're such freaks, she thought. Seriously. Her and Rainey? She could barely stand being in the same room with him!

After a few minutes more of walking, she calmed down a bit. She crossed her arms and was quickly reminded of whose shirt she was wearing. What was that smell exactly? Some sort of cologne, not that Axe spray all the guys were wearing. She couldn't quite place it but it smelled good. The thought disturbed her- she was _actually_ pondering over what Rainey smelled like. She glared at the shirt as if it were its fault. Unfolding her arms with a groan, she checked her t-shirt to see that it was still damp but wearable. She pulled the button down over her head and folded it over her arm as she walked home. Surely, _holding_ Mort Rainey's shirt was better than wearing it. However, she noticed with a frown that its scent lingered on her still.


End file.
